Through the Flames
by ph0biafied
Summary: AU. Sequel to From the Ashes. Homicide detectives Magnolia Michaels and Dean Ambrose have faced down monstrous men. Yet their biggest challenge will come in the form of one who wishes to destroy the world from the inside out. How will they fare against the master manipulator Bray Wyatt and his cult like Family? Dean Ambrose/OC


A/N: I am so excited to be working on this sequel! The idea has been floating around in my head until I just couldn't take it anymore and I had to start writing. If you haven't read From the Ashes, you should go read that one first!

Dislaimer: I do NOT own WWE or any of its trademarks. I certainly don't own the wrestlers and their characters. Don't sue me, bro.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Pull the Trigger<strong>

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><p>Paige was wrenched from her slumber by firm hands shaking her by the shoulders. She groaned in protest, eyelids heavy as she eased her big brown eyes open.<p>

"M'awake." She mumbled, her voice quiet; she didn't want to wake anybody else in the room.

Directly above her hovered the excited face of her mentor, Alicia Fox. Her eyes were bright and wild. "Paige, get up!" She whispered, her grip tightening almost painfully on Paige's shoulders. "We have a mission. Tonight is your final test!" Alicia giggled, finally releasing her hold and taking a step back.

Immediately Paige felt wide awake. The warmth of sleep forgotten, she felt a chill that started in her extremities and crept like frost into her heart. Her pulse was racing as she pushed her threadbare blanket back and scrambled from her cot. "Now?" She asked, "What… what are we doing?" Her voice was shaky, and the older girl took notice, sending her a sharp look.

"Just be quiet and follow me. We're going to meet with _him_." Alicia spoke with reverence, her eyes twinkling in the dark room.

Paige nodded mutely and followed, their bare feet winding a careful path through the sleeping bodies on the floor. Her heart raced with anticipation. Her final test? The last opportunity to distinguish herself from the flock, to truly become a member of… the Family. She involuntarily shuddered, fighting the sudden fear that something awful was about to happen. This was what she wanted, after all; the very moment she had been longing for. So why did she feel like she was walking to her own execution?

Alicia came to a halt at a battered looking door. Once, when the house had been new, someone had painted it a cheery blue. That pretty paint was faded now, peeling away in brittle flakes. Paige met her mentor's eyes for just a brief moment before Alicia turned the knob and opened the door. Before them was a dimly lit stairwell leading to the basement of the house. Paige chewed on her lip ring absently… she had never been invited down there. It was strictly Family only.

She almost jumped when the warmth of Alicia's hand slid suddenly into her own. Her mentor gave her a brief, reassuring smile before they began to descend. Paige allowed herself to be pulled along, trying to feel excitement rather than dread. At the bottom of the stairs the basement was a flickering orange glow, and when they stepped down and out she realized the only light came from a solitary oil lantern.

Casting ominous shadows in the back of the room stood two giant men. She had seen them before of course, they were notorious. The most trusted and beloved of all the Family. Eric Rowan and Luke Harper. They were never anything but intimidating, each of them standing well over six feet tall and weighing more than herself and Alicia put together. The worst of it was their eyes – identical gleams that were half fevered loyalty, half wild lunacy. And yet despite their imposing visage they were nothing more than background compared to the figure in the center of the room.

Bray Wyatt was smiling, his clear blue eyes bright with intensity. As she always was, Paige found herself captivated by his presence. He may have been shorter than Eric and Luke, but he had an impressive charisma that commanded respect. When he spoke his voice was a musical cadence, lilting from word to word like every sentence was grand and important.

"Alicia, dearest daughter, thank you for bringing Paige to me." He stepped forward and placed a hand under Alicia's chin, tilting her head up to place a chaste kiss on her forehead. "You may excuse us now."

"Of course, Bray." Alicia practically giggled, her adoring stare lingering on him for a few long moments before she turned around and headed quickly back up the stairs. Paige had the absurd urge to grab her by the hand again, to stop the other girl from leaving so that she wouldn't be left alone, but then Bray turned his eyes on her and all other thoughts left her mind. His gaze made her feel like they were the only two people left in the world, like she should be _honored_ that he would give his precious attention to her.

"Paige, my darlin' little lamb. Tonight is a glorious night." His smile was soft, his eyes almost gentle as they held her own. "I am entrusting you with a task of utmost importance, and I know that you will not let me down."

Not trusting her own voice, Paige merely nodded. Her doubts were beginning to resurface. She had to remind herself why she was here in the first place. Before Bray and his Family, she had been _nothing_. She had been broken time and time again until one day in her darkest moment she had been found. He had found her and cleaned her up; offered her a second chance at life. To be healed, to be loved… she steeled her nerves. Whatever it was that she had to do, it would be worth it. To earn her place here, with _him_.

Bray's smile widened and he stroked a hand affectionately down her hair. "My dear, you will be making a trip into the city. To clean some filth off of the very streets from which I rescued you. Together we will make this world a better place." He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "I would not ask so much of you if I did not have the utmost certainty in your abilities. You shall play a crucial role in my new world."

Paige swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Her voice was raspy when she spoke up, "What do you need me to do?"

Bray's eyes lit with enthusiasm. He brushed a thumb tenderly across her cheek before turning away from her and addressing Luke and Eric. Paige had almost forgotten that they were in the room.

"Eric, please give Paige the tool she will need for tonight. Luke, you will be going with her." Luke took a step forward and offered her a crazed smile while Eric hurried to a large safe in the corner of the room. Deftly he turned the combo lock and opened it up. Paige couldn't hold back a gasp when he pulled out an assault rifle.

Immediately Bray was before her again, and he seized her face in both his hands to look into her eyes. His voice was low and urgent. "This object should hold no fear for you. It is a tool, as I said. Nothing more than a broom to sweep the streets with. The people I saved you from - Paige, you_ remember_ them - they are nothing more than garbage. There is no place for that garbage in my beautiful new world."

Memories of her life on the streets came in a torrent, bringing with them the pain that she had once felt. The pain that Bray had lifted from her shoulders. With a sob she nodded her head, "Yes, Bray. I can do this."

He smiled at her with tenderness, his blue eyes crinkling, and placed a kiss on her forehead. She shivered as his lips touched her. "Good girl." He spoke softly, for her ears only, "I want you by my side, Paige. You shall be the definition of beauty in the glorious world we create."

His words had her trembling inside and when he turned from her again she realized she had been holding her breath. Then suddenly Luke Harper was there, draping a duffel bag over her shoulder. It hung heavily with the weight of the gun.

Heavier still was the weight of the deed she was about to perform. But as much as the thought of what she must do filled her with terror, the idea of disappointing Bray was completely unthinkable. So when Luke wrapped one massive hand around her upper arm she allowed him to lead her up the stairs and out of the house, Bray's words echoing like a mantra through her mind.

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><p>Maggie awoke with the fogginess of a hangover caused by too much red wine. She blinked her eyes open groggily, turning her head to read the digital clock on the nightstand. 6:42 am… three minutes before her alarm was scheduled to go off. With a sigh she moved to get out of bed, but in response the warm arm draped over her waist tightened its hold and pulled her back. She smiled, allowing herself a moment to lay back into that warm embrace. She traced her fingers idly over the muscles in Dean's arm, resting her head comfortably on his chest. It would be all too easy to fall back asleep and spend the day nestled in bed with him.<p>

"Stay, Mags." His voice, still hoarse with sleep, mumbled into her ear. "Damn alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

Maggie laughed, turning on her side to face him. His eyes were still firmly shut, protesting the early morning. She slid one of her legs in between his own to snuggle in a little closer. He responded with a sleepy smirk.

"Much as I'd like to, we can't stay in bed forever." She crooned, reaching up to brush a lock of wavy hair out of his face.

He opened one bright blue eye, his gaze full of mischief. "I'm willing to give it a try."

Maggie grinned, "It might be a bit suspicious if we both call in sick today."

Dean chuckled, but then his expression turned serious. He cupped her cheek, his eyes filled with emotion. "You know I'd much rather tell the Chief and have this whole thing out in the open."

Maggie sighed. So far she hadn't worked up the nerve to tell Hunter about their relationship. It wasn't that she feared his reaction… after all, she was a grown woman who could damn well make her own decisions about who to date. No, what worried her was the possibility that he would insist they could no longer be partners. She was puzzling out how to reply when she was saved by the alarm clock.

With a groan Dean rolled over her to swat the clock with one hand, shutting it up temporarily. He held himself suspended above her for a moment, their eyes locked with mutual emotion. Slowly she propped herself up on her elbows and met his lips with her own, that now familiar shock buzzing through her brain the moment they made contact. For a brief few moments it was like nothing existed but the two of them and they fell back to the bed together, kissing contentedly until the alarm decided to interrupt again.

Maggie giggled, giving him one last, lingering kiss, "Snooze time's over. I'm sure there's a stack of new case files just waiting for us."

Dean obligingly rolled off of her and they climbed reluctantly out of bed. Maggie flipped the switch that turned the alarm off completely and stretched both arms above her head, working her still weary muscles. With a sigh she began rooting through her duffel bag for a clean set of work clothes. The bottle green pant suit she pulled out was lightly wrinkled, and she sighed, wondering not for the first time if it wouldn't be worth it to just leave some of her clothes in Dean's closet for days like this.

Clothes in hand, she pulled a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap out of the bag for a shower and paused to frown at the time. Dean caught her glance and grinned, "Damn, not much time to get ready this morning. Guess we'll have to shower together."

Maggie blushed but met his impish grin with one of her own. "First one in gets to pick our new case." Without waiting for his acceptance she bolted for the bathroom, but in a matter of strides he had caught up and swept her off her feet, hoisting her over his shoulder.

"Nice try, darlin', but victory is mine."

Maggie laughed, "This time, Ambrose."

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><p>As it turned out, showering together didn't actually save them any time. It was 7:55 when Dean's challenger finally swung into the parking lot at the station. Maggie was just finishing up with braiding her still damp hair. They leaned together for a kiss, Dean's hands roaming her body. Reluctantly she broke it off before it could get any more heated. Together they climbed from the muscle car and hurried inside. It was mid March, but the winter had been a long one and patches of snow and ice still clung to the thawing ground. The sky was overcast, promising another rain storm to usher in the spring.<p>

Dean held the heavy door for her as she rushed indoors, and the both of them came to an abrupt halt in the lobby. It was _freezing_.

"Rollins!" Dean called, spotting his friend's familiar two toned hair beneath a heavy winter parka. Seth flashed a grin upon spotting them and hurried over, his breath marked by white puffs in the air. "What the fuck, man?" Dean asked, "It's colder in here than it is out _there_!"

Seth nodded. "I know, man. Furnace went out late last night. Chief Helmsley has someone here now trying to fix it, but until then we're all freezing our balls off. There's extra coats in the locker room for anyone who needs one."

Dean nodded and turned his attention to a shivering Maggie. "Hold on, Mags, I'll get you a coat." He then turned a rather pointed look on Seth, one eyebrow raised in mock criticism.

"What?" Seth asked, looking rather confusedly between the two of them.

Maggie laughed and rolled her eyes, "Come on, Dean, let's just go get coats. It's too cold for this."

"No way. If I don't teach this poor sod now how to treat a lady right then he'll just blame it on me when he dies alone."

Seth frowned before realization dawned on him. His chocolate eyes shot wide open, "Oh! My bad." He shrugged off his warm parka and offered it up with a sheepish grin. "For the lady." He made a flourishing bow, and Maggie struggled not to laugh as she gratefully pulled on the warm coat.

Dean grinned. "Mags, head on up and I'll meet you."

She nodded and headed for the stairs, snuggling into the over sized coat. When she pushed into the detective's room on the third floor it was the usual chaos. She was approached immediately by Chris Jericho, who pressed a steaming mug of sweet coffee into her hands. He started briefing her as they walked to her desk. "Got a big case for you, Maggie. Quadruple homicide. Drive by shooting on Sprague Avenue. Three women, one man, all DOA. Looks like they were streetwalkers. Someone tore them up with a machine gun."

Maggie set her coffee down and frowned in thought. "Gang related, maybe?"

Chris shook his head, "It's possible, but I doubt it. Here's the weird thing, Maggie… the gun was left at the murder scene. They tossed it right out of the car afterward. M16 assault rifle, no fingerprints. And the serial number was filed off. This gun is untraceable. And it's not just the gun. There was a bible tossed out of the car with it, and written in sharpie on every page is the phrase 'follow the buzzards'…" He shrugged and set the file down on her desk.

Maggie bit her lip absently, picking up the case file and thumbing through it. "That's odd. Got ID's for the victims yet?"

"The girls, no. I've got a couple uniform officers going through our recent solicitation arrests looking for possible matches. But the pimp, he had his wallet on him. Still filled with two thousand dollars cash, to boot. I'm tracking down his next of kin now, I'll pass it along as soon as I have the info."

Maggie nodded. "Thanks, Chris."

"Anything for you, Maggie." He flashed her his signature smile.

"Something you need, Jericho?" Maggie whirled around at the gravelly voice from behind her. Dean gave her a small smile before turning his questioning gaze back to the older detective.

Chris continued smiling, unperturbed, "Just dropping off a new case file with your beautiful partner. Giving her the rundown. Making out with her in the parking lot."

Maggie choked on a gulp of coffee, spluttering in indignation. Chris laughed, reaching out to pat her good naturedly on the back. "Whoops, that was the two of _you_ making out in the parking lot, wasn't it?" He asked. Maggie managed to get her coughing under control, her face blushing a fierce crimson.

Dean, however, merely crossed his arms and put on his cockiest smirk. "So?"

Chris shook his head, "Ah, nothing. You young lovers do whatever you want. But you should know, things don't stay secret around here for very long. If you're smart, you'll tell the Chief before he hears it through the grapevine." And with that, he sauntered away.

She shook her head to regain her composure and sighed.

Dean took a seat at his desk. "He's right, though. I should tell him today."

Maggie quirked an eyebrow, "_You_ should tell him? Don't you want to do it together?"

Dean shook his head, "It's not that I don't want you there, but… The Chief and I should do this one on one. I need to know where he stands and he needs to know I won't back down."

Maggie took a hesitant drink of her coffee, thinking it over. "Okay, then. I trust you. Just…" she turned her wide eyes on him, letting her true concerns show for the first time. "Just don't let him split us up, Dean."

His blue eyes softened, "Is _that_ what you've been so worried about? No way in hell I'd let that happen. Now-" he cleared his throat, "let's go over the case Jericho dropped off. Must be big to get that hand delivered act."

Maggie nodded, passing the file over to him. "Quadruple homicide. Looks like someone sending a message. The only problem is, that message seems to be 'follow the buzzards'. I don't suppose that sounds familiar to you?"

Dean frowned, flipping through the crime scene photos. "Never heard it before. I think we need to talk to someone on the streets for this one."

Maggie absently twirled her pencil, "You want to hit the pavement, go door to door? Or do you have something in particular in mind?"

"I could call an old informant of mine, she knows the streets pretty well."

"And she'll talk to us?"

"Yeah. Chances are she knew these girls. She'll want to help."

"Sounds good, then. Let's call her in."

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><p>"Miss Lee! Madam!"<p>

AJ rolled her eyes before whirling on her heel to face the shrill voiced man who had been following her down the sidewalk. "Do _not_ call me Madam."

"I'm sorry, mad- Miss Lee." The man wrung his hands nervously, "It's just, I've been trying so hard to get-," he lowered his voice to a stage whisper, "an _appointment _with you and your, um, your ladies."

AJ's eyes were impossibly wide, and she twitched in frustration, "I don't know _who_ you think you are, or who you think _I_ am, but I don't like what you're insinuating." She leaned in closer to whisper in the man's ear, "And if I did happen to be who you think I am… do you really think I would conduct my business-" she took a deep breath before screaming, "IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMNED STREET?!"

And with that she turned and sped away on her converse sneakers, cursing all simple minded men under her breath. She had only made it two blocks before her cell phone went off in her pocket and she fished it out angrily, "Hello?"

"AJ? This is Detective Ambrose. I was wondering if you had the time to stop by the station today. I've got some questions I need answered."

AJ paused. The last thing she wanted to do was walk willingly into the police station, but on the other hand… "Well, I still owe you, Detective. I take it this is unrelated to my own business ventures?"

The man on the other end of the line snorted, she could just picture him smirking into the phone, "Homicide related."

AJ took a deep breath. "I've got a meeting in a half hour. I can be there…" She glanced at her watch, "I'll be there by two."

Without waiting for a reply she ended the call and dialed a new number. "Dolph? You are _not _going to believe who just called me."

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><p>AN: And that's it for chapter 1! Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!


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